


The Perfect Crime

by Ellisama



Series: Imperfections [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Brave New World Anthology, Detective AU, Gen, Modern AU, Murder Mystery, noir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-24 10:37:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6150854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellisama/pseuds/Ellisama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One rainy afternoon, Chrom is found dead in his office. His former partner, detective Robin deGrima, has seven days to find his killer among his closest friends and greatest enemies. But in this race against the clock nothing is ever what it seems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act I

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for the Brave New World Anthology, a Fire Emblem Fanfiction Fanbook. Please go check that out, it was a wonderful experience!
> 
> Beta'd by Abby and Ari

It was a dark, rainy day at the office when the call came, cold and depressing like a prelude to misery. I can’t say I didn’t expect the phone to ring at the Homicide Department of Ylisse City that afternoon, nor was I surprised when they brought the case straight to my desk. They usually bring the hard cases to me, though this one was nothing like I had ever faced before. The victim was found an hour ago in his office by his secretary, who checked in on him after a full day of silence. By then, the poor guy was long dead, bled out quietly somewhere the night before while working dutifully overtime. The situation itself is nothing new: businessmen of his caliber die every other day. What made this case special was the fact that his name is Chrom of Ylisse, CEO of Xalt Inc, a most respected member of society whose family has been around for such a long time that it’s debatable if they named themselves after the town, or if it was named after them. But before all of that, he used to be a cop, my former partner to be exact.

The second my superior mentions his name, I choke on my breath, all kinds of emotions welling up inside me. But I’ve been a cop for over twenty years, and a detective for fifteen of them, and nobody knows better than I that in order to do my job, I need to have a firm grasp of my emotions. Before Say’ri can finish her sentence, I’ve already grabbed my coat and am halfway towards the door, walking at a breakneck speed. She calls after me as I head out, but I ignore her. I don’t need the directions to his office: I’ve been there plenty of times.

It’s a twenty minute drive from the office to the Xalt Inc building, if you know your way around town like I do. All the way, my phone rings like crazy, but I silence it quickly. It’s always ringing, that stupid thing, driving me up the wall. I’m not concerned about the caller: people who really know me know to send me a text instead, since I never pick up.

The second I spot the window of his office I’m overwhelmed by memories of summer days with ice-cream and long, boring nights on a stakeout. I still can’t really believe he’s dead. I quickly shake the rising sense of panic away: I’m on the job, and especially this job I can’t flunk. To calm my nerves, I let my eyes roam over the familiar building, which has been in their family for generations. It’s a family business, Chrom told me when he left the force to succeed his father, and the building does truth to his words. Neither the rain nor the police tape that marks the perimeter takes away any of the majesty that modern buildings simply no longer have.

Officer Sully recognizes me the second I step out of my car. She’s quickly setting up a perimeter before any journalists catch wind of what has happened and all hell breaks loose. I walk up to her, and she nods grimly at me.

“Thank the gods they sent you,” she blurts out before I can say anything else, and gives me a big hug. We graduated from the academy in the same year, along with Chrom, and have been serving together ever since. I can feel her trembling in my grasp, but when she pulls back there are no tears on her face. She’s a strong woman, that one.

“Who else were they going to send, Gregor?” I joke with a heavy heart, and Sully rolls her eyes.

“Though you were perhaps too close to the case, Robin.”

I shake my head firmly, trying to project an image of stability despite the fact that the guilty ache in my stomach is threatening to make me throw up. “I’ve been in this field for years. Besides, Chrom had my back for years. The least I could do is make sure this situation is resolved.”

Sully smiles this time, that crooked smile of hers that lets me know I convinced her. “Walk with me,” she says, and I follow her. The police that are guarding the perimeter know better than to stop us from entering the building: we’ve been around for some time. The office is eerie in its emptiness. I’ve been here plenty of times, and it has never been this quiet, especially at four in the afternoon. There is always some intern printing memo’s, or Frederick scolding an employee for filing a document wrong. Now, there are only footsteps and police sirens. “He was found by his secretary this afternoon. Since the cleaning personnel always leaves at eight, it’s safe to assume for now that the murder took place somewhere last night.”

Before she can continue her calm explanation, I interrupt her. “We can’t rule it as murder yet, Sully.”

“Damn Robin! How could you even consider Chrom would suicide? He had it all!” Sully curses loudly, making a passing officer look at us strangely. I make a quick motion of my hand to show him that I’ve got it under control, and he scurries off like a scolded child.

“As a friend, I know. But as a cop….” I let my voice trail off, allowing her to fill in the line. She knows my reputation: I do things by the book, albeit unconventionally so. I put a hand on her shoulder in the hope to calm her a little. “You’ve got to stay objective, especially now Sully.”

“You’re right… speaking of cops, where is your partner?” She asks awkwardly, perhaps embarrassed that she let herself go like that.

“The kid? On his way, most likely. I wasn’t going to stick around until he got his shit together.” I honestly keep forgetting about Ricken. He was assigned to me a few weeks ago, a mere rookie to a veteran. He’s a good kid, but I’ve been working on my own ever since Chrom left and especially now I’m about to lead the investigation on his murder, I don’t want any replacement.

“I reckon -” Sully said, before halting abruptly. I didn’t even have to ask why. In front of us was the door of Chrom’s office. It didn’t look damaged at all, not a single speck of blood to be seen. If I hadn’t known, nothing could have betrayed that less than 24 hours ago, behind that inconspicuous door a murder had taken place. Sully must have noted my reluctance to enter the room. “Brace yourself, Robin. It’s not a pretty sight.”

“I’ve seen it all before, Sully. Don’t worry about me,” I tell her offhandedly, hoping to sound calmer than I actually feel. “Worry about his family. Has Sumia been contacted?”

A pained look crosses over her face, and I don’t envy her. “I’ve called her myself. A car has been sent her way to pick her up and bring her to the station.” She doesn’t say anything more about it, but I’ve known Sumia almost as long as I have known Chrom, and she’s going to be devastated. Of all people here, she is the one that without a doubt deserves this the least.

I think of her, and her alone when I enter the room with my eyes closed, distancing myself away from the situation.

The sickening smell of blood was the first thing that hit me when I entered the room. It wasn’t even that strong, but it’s a smell that you’re not supposed to smell in an office. Yet, I took one deep breath, letting the smell of his blood fill me up before I opened my eyes. It wasn’t a pretty sight. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, since you’re probably not used to it like I am, but to sum it up: I was glad that I could not see his eyes from where I was standing, but his skin was already dull and grey, occasionally speckled with fresh, blue bruises. Cut up from navel to chin, he must have died in horrible agony. His body laid contorted in an awkward position, amidst a small puddle of his own, half-dried blood surrounded by bloody hand an footprints, most likely his own. From sight alone I could tell that he had tried to drag himself towards the phone after he had been stabbed, but had died a mere meter before he could reach it.

Behind me, a visibly shaken Sully backed off, and for a second I wished I could do the same. But then I remembered that I had chosen this, and one thing you should know about me is that when I decide to do something, I always stick through with it. I turned to Henry, who was carefully documenting the crime scene.

“Give it to me, Henry,” I grit out, pulling my eyes from the corpse and to our resident forensic specialist.

Henry, as usual, was unfazed by the gore, and happily presented his findings. If I didn’t know better I would have accused the guy of murder a long time ago, he certainly had the heart for it. “Multiple stab wounds in the torso with a short, sharp weapon. The weapon hasn’t been found yet, but we’re searching for a kitchen knife or something like that.”

“That rules out suicide then.”

“It sure does! Though the wounds didn’t kill him immediately, so he technically would have had time to hide the knife. See that trail of blood? He must have dragged himself here after the stabbing.” I had summed up that much, but I let him continue anyway. “Though, who would decide to kill themselves this painfully, is beyond me. No arteries were cut, so the guy must have had a slow, painful death.”

“Thank you, Henry, give me a call when you find it. Have you informed Tharja?”

“Once the crime scene has been properly documented, we’ll send him straight to her.”

That was probably the first and last time anyone had mentioned straight and Tharja in the same sentence. “Good. I don’t want anyone else to do the autopsy on this case. She’s the best we’ve got, hands down.”

I scribbled down some notes on my phone, taking in the scene. Besides the blood and the corpse, the office didn’t look any different from the last time I had seen it. The windows were firmly shut and locked, and not even the decorative vase Chrom had inherited from his father had been cracked. That could really only mean one thing.

“Any idea who could have done this, detective?” Henry said while handing me sealed envelope, undoubtedly filled with detailed reports and pictures of the scene.

For a moment I thought about what I would tell him. “Nobody meticulously kills a CEO with a knife, in his own office on top of all that, unless they passionately hated the guy’s guts. It’s too early to say, but I suspect this is a _crime passionnel_ .” He took one more look at Chrom, and then nodded in agreement. His carefree expression didn’t change, and I could see that he didn’t quite grasp exactly why that was such an important point. “You haven’t been around long enough to meet the guy, but if you had, you’d know that leaves an awfully small amount of people as suspects. Chrom was a great man, and people loved him.”

“Not everyone, obviously.”

“Not everyone, no.” I admitted. To be honest, not even I liked him all of the time, but I loved him in my own way. Of course, I let none of that emotion slip into my voice. “He used to be a cop, and a damn fine one at that. Every man like that has enemies who want to get back at him, and I can name a few that are certainly crazy enough to actually go through with it. My old man, for one.”

Henry looked at me strangely, before he remembered my last name. That look was something of the last ten years really: before that, all people could see when they looked at me was my father. “Isn’t he still safely locked up in that maximum security prison?”

“Well, if he had broken free, I think I’d be the first to know.” I tried to joke, but he didn’t get it. “I’m done here, Henry. Give me a call when you find the murder weapon.”

“Will do!” Henry chimed back, and I mock-saluted him.

In a moment of weakness, I let my eyes roam one last time over Chrom’s blue hair. It would be so easy to walk around him and see his eyes one more time, but I didn’t do it. I really couldn’t. Instead, I turned around and let myself out of his office. The second the fresh air entered my lungs I felt a weight fall from my shoulders, and I knew I could do this. The worst part was over, now only the hard part remained.

“You’re taking this well, Robin. That’s your best friend laying there, cut into tiny pieces, and you haven’t even shed a single tear! Don’t tell me you’ve really gone as cold as they say.” Sully joked when she found me sitting on top of Olivia’s desk, and handed me a much needed cup of coffee.

“Chrom was my best friend. Crying over his body won’t bring him back. Solving this mystery and locking up the killer will at least give him peace.”

“I still can’t believe it. Chrom dead, killed in his own office…. What has this city come to?”

I snorted in my coffee. Sully, for all her toughness, was an optimist at heart. “It’s always been a rat’s hole, with vermin creeping everywhere. Chrom knew that. That’s why he worked tirelessly to make it a better place. First as a cop, later as a philanthropist.” It hadn’t always worked, but he tried and I wasn’t about to stop because he had bitten the dust. “Any word on his wife?”

Sully looked positively strangled, and my best guess should be that she was still reeling from delivering the news to her. “She should be at the Police Station about now.”

I nodded, putting the envelope in my bag and downing the coffee in one bitter gulp. It wasn’t like I would be getting any sleep tonight anyway.

Before I could leave, Sully shot me one last pleading look. “Do me a favor? When you find the bastard who killed him? Punch him in the face in my name.”

“The Law doesn’t work like that, Sully.” I corrected her. “Besides, what makes you think the killer is a man?” 

* * *

 

It was another hour before I arrived at the police station. Traffic can be a bitch, but journalists are undoubtedly worse. They are like a swarm of flies, sticking their heads into places where they don’t belong. On the way to the precinct, I texted my son to get some takeout tonight since I’ll be running late. He’s fifteen, but already taller than I am. Just like his father, I think bitterly for a second, but the thought quickly disappears. We had good times, that man and I, and Morgan is certainly worth all the heartache he gave me. Being a divorcee isn’t all that bad. Besides, the guy’s dead now, so in the end, it doesn’t matter.

When I pull up behind the office, the first journalist is already on my case, bombarding me with inappropriate questions. How am I supposed to have figured out who the murderer was within three hours after the body was discovered? I let the pests wonder about that while I enter the office.

My boss, Say’ri, a middle aged Asian woman, is already waiting for me, impatiently tapping a pencil against a mug of coffee. We go way back, that woman and I. We were rookies together, and bonded over the fact that we were female, foreign and related to a criminal while serving on the force. We’ve both proven our worth over the years, but that kind of kinship never quite fades.

“I didn’t give you permission to go, Robin,” she rebukes me the second she spots me, but her heart isn’t in it. She must have known I would bolt out the door the second she delivered that news to me, right?

Of course I don’t tell her that. “You didn’t forbid me either. We both know that’s pretty much the same thing.”

“We’ll talk about this later. We have his wife in custody. She’s hysterical.”

I’m a little bit surprised she first scolds me for doing my job, only to tell me to go right back at it only moments later. Then again, beggars can’t be choosers.“Right. Sumia and I go way back. I’ll calm her down and get some answers out of our first suspect, boss.”

Say’ri halts in the middle of her step, and looks at me strangely. “You… you really think she could have done it, Robin?”

“He was stabbed over a dozen times with a knife. An ordinary burglar wouldn’t have done that, but a scorned wife…” I let my voice trail off, and Say’ri nods, a grimace stuck on her face. Before she can say another word, I continue. “Look, I know Sumia. She’s a sweet as a sheep, and as innocent too. But I’ve been a detective for too long to rule her out before I’ve seen the facts.”

“You’re right.” Say’ri sighs, and points me towards the door. “She’s in B201, be nice to her Robin. I know you two haven’t always gotten along…”

Well, that’s an insult to my professionalism I haven’t heard in a long time. “That’s in the past, Say’ri. We’re over forty, too old for childhood rivalries.”

Before she can say another word, I open the door only to find a sobbing mess of a woman slouched in a chair. She doesn’t belong in a empty questioning room, silently regarded through a two-way mirror, and If not for the little ornamental feathers in her hair, I would have never thought that this woman could be the ever-smiling Sumia.

“Sumia.” I utter her name quietly, and like a charm she shoots up.

“Robin! Thank god you’re here,” she cries, and immediately falls into my arms, letting the tears flow readily down her face. I embrace her like old friends do. “Oh Robin, please tell me it’s all a joke! Tell me it’s not true!” She cries into my shoulder, and for a second I feel a deep, stinging regret piercing my very soul.

I’m a great liar, but I can’t lie to her now. “Would if I could, Sumia,” I tell her, and she pulls back, meeting my eyes with a look of despair unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. “I’m sorry, dear. He’s dead. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

The second I tell her, it’s real. I can see the gentle shreds of hope she still clung to falling apart before my very eyes, and her along with it. “Oh gods… oh gods! What am I going to do without him? What am I supposed to tell the kids?”

It is my strength alone that keeps her from falling to her knees, and at my age it’s not something I can keep up for long. “They’ve send a car to pick them up. Frederick has been informed as well. He’ll take care of them for now.”

“Chrom… why Chrom? Why Robin?”

“Only the murderer could give you that answer,” I tell her gently as I help her back into a chair. “But I swear to you, Sumia, here and now, that I will avenge him, for both you and your kids.”

“I… I know you will.” My words mean little in the face of a murder, but she’s a strong woman. I can see her take what strength she can from them, and pull herself together. “Chrom always said you were the best, that he couldn’t really compare.”

“A gross lie, I tell you. We were partners, equals till the end.” A small smile creeps up on my face when I say those words.

“Do… do you know who did it?” she asks me carefully.

“He was found late at night in a locked building with multiple stab wounds, a look of agony on his face.” I regret those words the second I speak them, because another choked sob escapes from Sumia. Nobody had told her the specifics yet. “Truly, it could only have been someone who knew him well. So, Sumia, where were you last night?”

For a second she looks dazed, and then her eyes widen at the implications of my words. “Gods, are you…. Do you… do you really think I could have murdered my own husband?”

“To be honest, I don’t think you could hurt a fly. But this is a crime of passion, and the wife is always the first suspect. I have to do to this by the book, Sumia. I’m sorry.”

“Robin, I could never! I loved him since I was young! We’ve been through some hard times, but I would never…” She starts shaking her head violently, but when she stops, her voice is calm again. “That night, he had called me that he was going to be working overtime. He does that a lot, you know, so I wasn’t suspicious or anything. I was at home, housekeeping and making food for Cynthia. I brought the girls to soccer practice in the evening and stayed there until they were done. After that, we had an ice-cream together and went home.”

I nodded, writing down he alibi carefully. “Both of your daughters were with you? And they can testify to that?”

“O-of course!” Sumia stuttered out.

“At what time did this happen?”

“Practice is between eight and nine, but since we got an ice-cream we weren’t home before ten. We always do that on Tuesdays, it’s a little family tradition.” I nodded knowingly. Sometimes, when neither Chrom nor Sumia could make it, I stood in for them and brought Cynthia to practice along with Morgan. While he wasn’t on the team, he liked to cheer on his friends. “When we came home, I heated up some leftovers for Lucina, who was taking a shower. I took a long shower afterwards. We all went to bed shortly after.”

“And you weren’t surprised that your husband did not join you in bed?”

Sumia looked uncomfortable for a moment. “To be honest Robin… our marriage… it wasn’t always perfect. He worked a lot, especially since the merger with Valmus Corp. He often came home late, and had to leave before I got up. But … but that doesn’t mean I would kill him!”

“If what you say checks out, you have a solid alibi, Sumia. Rest easily. But we’re not done yet.” I tried to keep my voice calm and soothing, to let her know she could trust me. “I know it’s hard to believe but… was the reason your marriage was going badly perhaps because he was having an affair?”

“An affair? Chrom?” Sumia had that look on her face one generally adopts after they have been hit in the face. “I… no, he wouldn’t. He was as loyal as a dog, that man. Truth to be told, if there was any woman he would ever pick over me, then I think it would be you, Robin.”

That was one I had heard before, sadly “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.” Some of my irritation slipped into my voice, and Sumia quickly started apologizing. “Sumia, we were two halves of greater whole. More than friends yes, but never lovers. Besides, I don’t think he would ever leave you for someone like me.”

“I’m sorry Robin… I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything.”

I waved it away before she could start crying again. “You’re going through a lot right now. Hollywood would have you believe a man and a woman can’t be anything but lovers. But are you sure there was no one else? Like his secretary, perhaps?”

“Olivia?” Her name sounded like a one-worded tragedy from spoken from Sumia’s lips. “She…. She’s too shy. Married too, if I’m correct.”

“I believe she was recently divorced, actually. We spoke a few months back at Chrom’s birthday party, from one divorcee to another.” It wasn’t too long ago actually, and I didn’t think Olivia could do such a thing. But if my job taught me one thing, then it was to never underestimate the shy, silent ones.

“Do you really think...?” she whispered, her eyes wide with shock.

“I’m asking you, Sumia. You’re his wife.”

For a second, I think she believed in something she had never suspected, and I know that at that moment I could have made her believe anything I told her. But as the clock ticked on, the moment passed, and her common sense kicked back in. “I… He was never the unfaithful one in our relationship, Robin.” Her eyes were guilty of a past crime.

Oh boy, there it was. I knew this was going to come up sooner or later. Before she could say another word, I silenced her. “I know about that, Sumia. You don’t have to tell me.”

“You… you do?” she stuttered, her eyes wide. I was surprised she hadn’t figured that one out herself years ago.

“Well, he had to cry out on someone’s shoulder, didn’t he?” I recounted the evening in my head, Chrom’s angry words and fists.It took quite some time before he returned to his gentle self. He had chosen to forgive both of them, of course. He would probably have forgiven his murderer, that idiot. I cut that line of thought off before it got a life of its own. “Though I thought you two had resolved the issue.”

“We did. He forgave both of us. We were going on holiday next month, just the two of us. To bring back the romance in our relationship.” She almost sounded like she had forgotten she wouldn’t be going now, until reality crashed back in and a lone tear escaped her eyes.

“I know, Sumia, I know. I think we’re done here for now. I…. I know I’m not person to say this to you but, I’m sorry Sumia. In my own way, I loved him too.” Admitting that was harder than I thought, and for the first time, I choked on a sob. “I’ll let you know the second Lucina and Cynthia are brought in.”

“Thank you, Robin.”

I left her there. I didn’t really need to know much more anyway. Say’ri walked out of the door of the listening room seconds later. Undoubtedly she had heard the entire thing.

Never one to mince her words, she cut straight to the case. “So, did the wife do it?”

“Sumia? She’s got a waterproof alibi and a winning personality. Unless she’s been lying to my face for years, I don’t think she could pull off such a brutal murder, despite the troubles in their marriage,” I told her honestly. Sure, the wife may be the first suspect, but Sumia had to be a better actress than me to pull this off without alerting both me and Say’ri.

She nodded, handing me a cup of coffee. “Don’t we all have those from time to time?”

“Well, my husband wasn’t found bled out on the floor, for one.” I joked, perhaps distastefully. But Say’ri knew me long enough. “But no, as far as I can tell, Sumia is innocent. Hell, even Chrom’s daughter Lucina has a better chance of being our killer, with her teenage temper running haywire as it has lately.” Despite the joke, my mind returned to that summer night a few months back, when lovely Lucina threatened to ‘off me’, as she put it, if I didn’t stay away from her father. She was as lovely girl though, despite her temper, who only disliked me because her father and I refused to let her date my son. I tried not to think to much about the girl, who was most likely sobbing her eyes on the ground as we spoke.

Unaware of my mental torment, Say’ri laughed, despite herself and despite the situation. “Well, who else could have done it, Robin?”

Without saying another word I whipped out my phone and unlocked it. Damn, fifteen missed calls, though none of them were from Morgan, so I probably wouldn’t be calling any of them back. Instead I opened the notepad and looked at the notes I had written down back at the crime scene and started listing the suspects. “Walhart, former CEO of the Valmus Corporation would be my first suspect. Xalt Inc recently absorbed that company in quite a hostile takeover, if I remember the papers correctly. I remember reading at least one article in which he promised to teach Chrom a _‘personal lesson’_. While I don’t know him well enough to know if he would get his fancy designer suit dirty for this kind of labor, I do know that he is a former wrestler. He could have done it.”

Say’ri sighed deeply. This wasn’t the first time she had to deal with the man. He had a history of involvement with the Valmese mob, and some had suggested that his company was nothing but a cover for his less than legal affairs, which is exactly why Chrom had sought to bring an end to it. “That’s a high profile man… he could press charges against us if we’re wrong. Are you sure?”

I raised an eyebrow. Was she seriously asking me this? “The world of finance is a dark, slimey world, Say’ri. If a potential lawsuit would prevent us from serving justice, we might as well hand the city to the rats all together.”

“You’re right. I’ll bring him in for questioning,” she conceded, and waved at an intern to bring her the paperwork. “Anyone else?”

“Sumia didn’t think he was having an affair, but we all know the killer likes to return to the scene of the crime.” After the wife, the mistress was always the second suspect in a crime like this. “And didn’t his secretary find him?”

“So you really suspect Olivia, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “She’s pretty, recently divorced and stuck working overtime with her boss almost every other night. In a murder case, that makes her at least a little bit suspicious.” That, and Chrom wasn’t exactly an innocent man either, but I wasn’t going to tell them that. “Also, what kind of secretary doesn’t check up on their boss until after lunchtime, if he always starts working in the early morning?”

Say’ri nodded, and I knew I had convinced her. “Well, it won’t harm us to question her. Let’s bring her in, just in case. But that’s not all, is it?”

“Chrom and I locked up a lot of criminals back in the day. We were on the force for less than a year when we tracked down his sister’s killer, Gangrel. That man has always hated us ever since…” With good reason, I might add. Twenty years in a high security jail are not exactly a fun way to spend your days as the former king of crime. “And coincidentally, he just got out on parole two weeks ago.”

“Good grief…” Say’ri muttered under her breath, surprising me. As the chief of police, wasn’t she supposed to know these things? “That’s it, I’m taking you off the case, Robin. If he killed Chrom, who says he isn’t after you as well?”

“All the more reason to stay in the spotlight as the lead detective on this case, don’t you think?” I countered before she could make the order a set deal. “Bring him in for questioning as soon as possible, and I’ll play it safe until you’ve got him. That’s the only deal I’m offering, Say’ri. Besides… we all loved Chrom. You’re not going to find a single detective here who doesn’t have a personal bond with the guy. We both know I’m the best we’ve got.”

“You can’t offer me a deal, Robin. I am your superior!” she yelled back at me, and I felt my shoulders tense up. She couldn’t put another detective on this case! Any case but this one! “Just because you’re a senior detective doesn’t mean you outrank me. But… I can offer you one. Seven days-“

“I’ll take it!” I cried out before she could say another word, feeling the tension leave my shoulders.

“But the second it gets dangerous, I’m taking you off the case, understood?”

She really shouldn’t be worrying about me, but I nodded anyway. Seven days would be short, but it was all I needed.


	2. Act II

I woke up at the break of dawn, five days after Chrom was found, after a few meager hours of sleep to a beeping alarm clock. Who plans an interrogation at seven in the morning? Say’ri, that is. I don’t think she ever sleeps, which wouldn’t be such a problem if she didn’t expect the rest of the world to do the same.

With great effort I rose from my comfortable mattress and got dressed in a sensible black dress. Despite the fact that Chrom’s body was still in the morgue, his family had decided to hold a private funeral this afternoon, perhaps to gain some closure. I would be lucky if today’s questioning would allow me to attend the event at all.

It took them significantly longer to track down Gangrel than I had expected. For a recently freed man, he sure moved like a criminal. Then again, his like never really change their ways. But yesterday night he was finally tracked down and brought in for questioning. Gangrel, despite his age and many years in prison, never really lost his edge. The only reason I didn’t interrogate him the second he was apprehended was because I would need my full wits to outsmart the man, and I needed to do so fast. Today marked the fifth day since the murder, which means I have two mere days left to crack this nut.

I didn’t plan to get any breakfast before heading out to the office, but the sound of running water brought me to the kitchen. It shouldn’t have surprised me to find my son Morgan mechanically making breakfast for two, but that is a chronic lack of sleep for you.

“Good morning honey; you’re up early.” A quick kiss on his brow brought a small smile to his face, and mine as well. He’s truly the light of my life, that boy.

“I couldn’t sleep,” was all he said, his bloodshot eyes casting deep shadows on his normally youthful visage. He was more affected by Chrom’s death than I was, which surprised me at first. We raised our children as siblings, and after the divorce, Chrom acted more like a father to Morgan than Priam ever did, but it never occurred to me that Morgan cared that deeply for him until the man passed away.

“I know my love, me neither,” I lied, not really knowing what to say. “Now, what did you make for me?”

He shrugged and handed me a small bag. “Just some tea and sandwiches. I could hear you cursing the gods for inventing alarm clocks from the living room, so I figured you needed a hand.”

“You’re an angel.” And he smiled again when I said that, urging me to take a bite.  I wish I had the time to properly sit him down and talk to him about what has happened lately, but I only have two days left to solve this case and as much as I hate it sometimes, duty to justice comes before the duty of being a mother. “I’ll text you if I’m able to pick you up for the funeral, but I can’t make any promises.”

“I know, mom, don’t worry. Lucina offered to drive me.”

I frown deeply, an unsettling feeling sinking in my gut and taking away any sense of hunger I had. “Morgan, we’ve talked about this,” I remind him sternly, and he nods sadly. I thought the boy knew better than to disobey me. Ever since Chrom and I caught them kissing a few months back, we’ve been having this talk over and over again. I don’t want my best friend’s nineteen year old daughter dating my underage son for a plethora of reasons, and trust me when I say that their obvious difference in maturity and age is just the tip of the iceberg. But now is not the time for that conversation, if his trembling fingers are any indication, so I quickly changed the subject. “Besides, a girl who just lost her father shouldn’t have to worry about anything on the day of his funeral. Don’t be a bother to her, Morgan. If I’m not able to make it in time, I’ll arrange a car for you.”

“Yes, mom,” he echoed tiredly, slumping into a chair. I hope he keeps his word this time. Teenagers…

“I’ve got to go sweetheart. Try to catch some sleep before you collapse, okay?”

“Mom?” I heard him utter seconds before I close the front door. “.... Be careful, please. I… I can’t imagine what I would do if I lost you too.”

For a second, I want to tell him all kinds of fancy lies to make him feel better, but I can’t do it when I see him standing there, dressed in his pajamas and tears in his eyes, begging me to stay. “I promise.”

It’s not much, but it’s as much as I can truthfully give him. He nodded, and embraced me fiercely, refusing to let go of me for another five seconds. He’s becoming a man, already taller and stronger than I am. And yet, while he trembles in my arms with unshed tears, he is once again a little boy. I kiss his brow gently when he finally lets go and hurry out of the door. If only he knew that I did this all for him.

Yesterday there was a reporter hovering around my car, but today he seemed to have gotten my message and decided to stay home. A decision that is definitely beneficial to his health. My house is further from the station than I like on a normal day, but ever since Chrom was murdered not a single morning can be classified as normal so for once I enjoy the long drive. It helps me clear my mind, and remember what I’m supposed to do.

Gangrel used to be called the Mad Crime King back in the day. He earned that title for a reason, by seemingly randomly killing innocent civilians. However, upon closer inspection, there was a method to his madness, especially when he targeted Chrom’s eldest sister, Emmeryn. Her death was a wakeup call for the entire city, but especially for her family. I remember Chrom’s rage, his single-minded determination to lock that fucker up. If I hadn’t taken away his gun from him, I’m pretty sure he would have shot the guy the second we found him in his crack den. I won’t go into detail exactly how that night played out, but I can tell you that Gangrel wasn’t a pretty sight when he was carried into the police car afterwards.

When I walked into the interrogation room a half an hour after I left the house, Gangrel’s scowl spoke volumes of how unhappy he was to see me. Ricken, my junior partner, actually jumped backwards a little when his eyes landed on him. Grey streaked his blood red hair, but the maniacal glint hadn’t dimmed in all these years.

“DeGrima…” He gritted out, a silly grin contrasting his every word. “Still rocking the pigtails in your early forties? Isn’t that a little bit unprofessional?”

“Why change what isn’t broken?” I shrugged off his words. Criminals had said way worse to me over the years, and being a detective meant developing a thick skin. “I’d talk pleasantries with you if it weren’t for the fact that my former partner is about to be buried in five hours, and you’re most likely the one who put him six-feet under.”

“Now now, where is the presumption of innocence? I demand a lawyer!” He cried out, and I looked at where I figured Say’ri was standing behind the tinted glass.

Mere seconds later, she entered the room and told Gangrel that his lawyer was on her way.

He wouldn’t say a useful word until she arrived, of course. Guys like him who have been hopping from the streets to prison and back again always know their rights. I shouldn’t have told him Chrom was being buried today. The bastard knows quite well how to stall this long enough to get me twitching with every tick of the clock. Another hour wasted, and I have so precious few of them.

When Aversa finally did arrive, it was in full style, her black dress perhaps a bit too revealing for any other defense attorney, but I really wouldn’t have expected anything else from her at this point. “Hey Robin, long time no see.” She greeted me, forgoing all sense of formality.

“I would have preferred to keep it that way.” I uttered back, refusing to give her a hand. “My father says hi, by the way.”

That sours her wicked smile instantly, and I consider it a job well done. “Tell that idiot to rot in hell when you see him next time.”

“Oh  trust me, I didn’t need your suggestion to do that already.”

Her long nails tick on the desk, reminding me of a cell phone that keeps ringing and annoying me just as much. “Well, at least we already agree on one thing today. Now, let’s talk about that other thing. That thing being my client’s innocence, of course.”

“Yeah, when hell freezes over, probably.” The words are out of my mouth before I can think them over and even Gangrel can’t help but laugh.

“Come on _Detective_ deGrima, that’s how they call you today, don’t they?” His voice is sugar-sweet, like the type of candy that makes you puke. “Look into my eyes and tell me that you really think I killed that poor, vile man.” His eyes sparkled but not with anything remotely resembling innocence. Madness and glee in spades, but never innocence.

“You’ve already killed his sister, it wouldn’t be such a stretch to think you’d go after him as well,” I reminded him before he could completely derail the interrogation.

“True. I can’t say I haven’t considered it,” he admitted offhandedly, making his attorney scowl. “But I’m a changed man, deGrima.”

That wasn’t exactly a confession yet. “If you’re trying to prove your innocence, how about you come up with an argument that doesn’t land you with another lifetime sentence?”

Gangrel looked strangely at me for a second, and then burst out into laughter. “Ha! Trust me, if I’d killed the guy, I would have owned up to it, like I’ve always done. But I can’t go around and claim other people’s kills, you know? Even we crooks have a code.” He held up his hand and spit on the table in a mock vow.

“So you’re admitting that you would like to see Mr. Ylisse dead?” Ricken pressed, his brow determined. You had to hand it to the rookie, not too many would be able to say that to the former king of crime during their second interrogation.  “Robin, isn’t that the almost admitting murder from a man like that?”

But Gangrel would have none of that. “Hah! Who said you could speak! Let the grownups do the talking,” he spit out nastily and making Ricken seethe with anger. He never liked being called a kid. “Clean out your ears, newbie. What I’m saying is that if I had killed the bastard, which I didn’t despite the fact that it would have been my good right, I would have done it properly, not locked in some office.”

But Ricken wasn’t so easily dissuaded. “How did you know he was killed in his office, if you didn’t do it?”

Aversa spoke before Gangrel could utter another word. “Oh come on! Do you not watch the news? It is all over the place! Me and the lads drank a beer over it when we first heard it, that’s for sure.”

“That’s enough, Ricken.” I held him back before he could say another word.

“But…” He sputtered out indignantly.

I shook my head, and spoke more for Gangrel’s sake than to Ricken. “We have a funeral to attend. Let Mr. Gangrel sort out his alibi with his lawyer while we do more important stuff.”

Ricken nodded, but Gangrel watched our little exchange with a wicked sense of glee. “Run, little bird. If they could get to Chrom, they can get to you too. Or to that precious son of yours, for that matter,” he singsonged after us while we left the room. Ricken was quick to turn around, and if I hadn’t stopped him immediately, I’m sure he would have hit the guy in the face for making such a thinly veiled threat.

“We’re going _now_ , Ricken.”

Once we were outside, I let go of the collar of his shirt. He turned to me, spluttering in insult and indignation, and while I tried my best to look disappointed, deep inside me bubbled a sense of pride that he had been willing to defend my honor. “But, I remember you said that the funeral isn’t in another two hours! I could have stayed behind and asked more questions. Why would we leave now?”

I sighed and walked to the coffee machine. “Ricken, I’m not leaving you alone in there. Between the two of them, they’ll have _you_ confessing to murder before the hour has past. Besides, we don’t need to hear another word. Gangrel already gave himself away.”

If you could have seen his eyes, you would been able describe the way they suddenly widened as comical. “How? I mean, half of what he says doesn’t make sense, but he was pretty clear on the fact that he didn’t do it.”

“He mentioned a locked office. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the journalists are privy to the fact that the door was locked. Up until now, I wasn’t even aware of it.” At the very least, it had been nowhere in the police files. I would know, I had spent the past few nights poring over them.

A victorious smile appeared on his face, a little bit too soon. “So he did it, then?”

“The door showed no signs of damage when I inspected the body. Nor did the windows. Yet, if he truly is the murderer were looking for, that means he must have had a key.” A key, was the first step to figuring this mystery out.

After handing Ricken his coffee and taking a well-deserved sip of mine, I knocked on the chief’s office door. “Say’ri! Can you arrange a search warrant for Gangrel’s house?”

“They’re at it right now, as a matter of fact. Why? Did he give himself away?” she said as I let myself in.

“Tell them to look for a metallic, blue painted key, just like this one.” I took a well-used key from my keychain and held it up to her. “It’s the key to Chrom’s office, and it is made of unbreakable steel because the guy had a habit of wrecking them. They’re quite expensive, so only his closest friends and family members have one, and I am willing to bet half of my wages that Sumia lost hers again somewhere in the past few weeks.”

Say’ri’s face was like a the first ray light breaking through the clouds in the morning, beaming with life and victory. It was still too soon for me to celebrate. “Good work, Detective. I’ll set them on it right away.” After that we were quickly ushered out of the office while she made the phone call.

“Now, Ricken, how about you go get yourself dressed into something suitable for the funeral. You’re coming with me,” I told him as I grabbed my coat, checking my phone. Another missed call, one from my father too. Speak of the devil.

“I am?”

I texted Morgan while we walked towards the car. “I’ll explain once we regroup at the funeral home. First, I’ve got to go pick up my son.”

Ricken smiled sheepishly. “Ehh… about that… I don’t have my driving license yet. Can I hitch a ride?”

This was going to be a long, long day.

 

* * *

 

The funeral was an unsurprisingly busy affair. Chrom was ~~a~~ well known and liked man, quick to make friends. The fact that he had money in spades sure helped as well. I couldn’t help but feel terrible for Sumia. She was swarmed by people who meant well, asking her time and again about Chrom, reminding her that she was a widow now and that his killer was still out there, somewhere.  But she was a strong woman, and nobody saw her tears while her youngest daughter clung to her like a lifeline. Cynthia did not have her grace, or her desire to keep up a front. Her eyes were as red as my son’s, only her tears kept flowing and flowing. Even through her modest black dress, I could see her knees tremble.

“Morgan, go take Cynthia away from them before she breaks down in front of all these people,” I whispered into his ears as soon as I spotted them.

“Are you sure mom?” He seemed reluctant to part with me, but I’ve always taught him that the best way to forget your problems is to help someone else. With a nod, he let go of my hand. “Alright.”

He walked up to Cynthia, who quickly collapsed in his arms when he opened them for her. He always had a soothing aura around him, that boy of mine, and with a few calming words, he coaxed her to a more private corner, away from prying eyes and questions.

Sumia met my eyes gratefully, and I know that if we had been twenty years younger with less people depending on us, she would have wanted me to do the same for her. Instead, I hugged her briefly, allowing myself to feel the sorrow for a split second before I carefully locked it back up again in my heart. When we parted, there was a careful smile on her face and a single tear slowly trailed down her cheek.

“Once again, my deepest condolences Sumia,” I told her quietly.

She nodded gratefully. “Thank you Robin.”

“Sumia, I must ask, did you recently lose a key?” I pressed, perhaps without mercy. I needed to know because I could not build a case on an assumption.

Confusion crossed her face for a second. “Maybe? I… I think I did, but it’s all a bit cloudy right now.”

“Of course, I shouldn’t have asked. Take your time.” I hugged her once more, and then surrendered her to the crowd of friends and family.

Then I turned to Lucina, and offered her a hand. Chrom and I had raised our children as siblings, and there was a time when I was like a mother to her. But ever since she hit puberty, she had become less fond of me, first accusing me of being in love with her father, and later berating me for not being in love with her father. Still, she never frowned quite like this until the incident with Morgan a few months ago. This is the first time I had seen her since then, but Chrom had talked about her plenty. Teenage girls and their righteous fury, or so we used to joke.

“How are you doing, Lucina?” I asked her while I shook her hand. While her mother and sister were barely able to keep standing, she seemed steadfast, strong in the face of misery. Lucina was the kind of young woman that would either conquer the world or fall to her own ambition. I hoped for the former, but the way her ice cold eyes roamed the crowd like a predator would made me wonder from time to time.

“Fine,” she answered stiffly, and I send her what I hoped was my sweetest smile. After that we talked about a few things I don’t really recall, because her eyes were stuck on Morgan and her sister, quietly crying together in the back.

Before I could leave to pay my own respects to the empty coffin, Sumia spoke to me before I “Robin, dear, could you do me a huge favor?”

“Anything, Sumia.” Who could resist those begging eyes?

“I… I’m supposed to address all these people, but I don’t think… I’m not strong enough to talk to such a group right now. You’ve known him as long as I have, Robin. Could you perhaps…?”

I sighed. Many people had already spoken today, and I honestly don’t know what I could add. But I owed this woman something, so I nodded despite my own reluctance. “It would be my pleasure. Now sit down and get yourself a glass of water before you keel over, I’ll take care of everything.”

That was easier said than done. Before I could get to the mic, some old friends and colleges seized it first. Those who knew him a little spoke of him as a good man, those who knew him well called him a great man. And I? I would call him neither, and that is perhaps why I claim till this very day to know him best.

When it was my turn, I rose to the stage and addressed the crowd. “Dear friends and family, today we are gathered to mourn the loss of a man I call my best friend. I’m not a woman for public speaking, but desperate times call for desperate measures, or so my father always used to say.” That earned me some laughter left and right, which was ironic considering the fact that nobody should ever heed an advice out of my father’s mouth.

“I first met Chrom during my time on the Police Academy. He was a good cop, as many of those who served along him will tell you. What they won’t tell you is that he managed to break four guns before he ever fired one. He was clumsy, angry half of the time and the most impulsive man I’ve ever met. He was also kind, and willing to put his trust and his life into the hands of someone whose very family caused half of the trouble in our lovely city. Trust me when I say this, he was the first.” For a moment, I saw him standing there on graduation day. I was all alone, and then he was next to me, sharing his family with me. It was best not to remember that right now.

“Chrom helped me become who I am today. He once told me: ‘You are yourself, before you are any man's daughter.’ And just by doing that he gave me what nobody else ever did before: a brave new world that was mine alone to shape.” What I didn’t tell them was that later he helped me put that same man behind bars. And even after he quit, he stuck around to help me. After the divorce, he was more of father to my son than Priam ever was. And there was so much more I didn’t tell them, nor will I tell you, that I thought about during that deafening silence. “So, let’s remember him the way he was, how he touched our lives in different ways. Let us laugh, and let us remember. Because that is where he will live on, in our memories and in our hearts. Thank you for your time.” To my surprise, a few people were crying when I walked off the stage. What surprised me the most was that I was one of them.

“That was nice, Robin,” Lucina said when I approached Sumia again, who was once again swarmed by well-wishing friends. I will admit that I had not expected her to speak to me voluntarily.

“Thank you, Lucina,” I said sincerely, not expecting a compliment from her of all people To be honest, it kind of put me off. “How’s college going?”

“Adequately. Though considering the circumstances, I believe I will have to quit my studies, sadly.” That was a gross lie, I knew. Chrom liked to brag about his genius daughter who spent almost every other night in the library, acing every subject. But she had always had standards, and wished to work for her father more than anything. They often fought about it, since Lucina considered herself ready for a job at his firm while Chrom was all but begging her to get a social life and enjoy her youth while it lasted. Now, after his death, she had manned up and together with Frederick ran the firm with a surprising competence. Perhaps, I wondered, Chrom had been wrong about her not being ready all along.

“How’s soccer?” I asked her, if only to change the subject from offices, and the corpses I may or may not find in them.

Lucina shook her head impassively. “I quit a while ago. I need more time for my studies.” How convenient that she quit after I had pulled Morgan off the team. I straightened my features: Now was not the time to meddle with my kid’s love life.

I put a hand on her shoulder like I used to do when I babysat her as a child. “Some people have to stand tall and shoulder the weight of the world while everyone else recovers. I know how you feel, Lucy.” It was a testimony to how tense she was that she let that little childhood nickname slip. “There are two ways to cope with a tragedy like this. You either brawl your eyes out and let go of reality, or face it with a straight face, regardless of the misery that is gnawing at your heart.” I let my eyes roam around the crowd, and I felt Lucina do the same. “The same goes for people dealing with the guilt of murder, actually.”

That caught her attention alright. “How is the investigation going?”

“Painstakingly slow.” I admitted grudgingly. Lucina could take the truth, I figured. “The Chief has given me a mere week to solve it before she takes me off the case, and I’ve already wasted five of them.”

“But...?”

“But I’m working on it as we speak.” When Lucina looked at me strangely, as if she knew something I didn’t, which to be honest I truly doubted. When her frown didn’t waver, I elaborated quickly. “Killers are people too. They feel emotions over the life they have taken, sometimes regret, sometimes accomplishment, but regardless of which one it is, they have one thing in common: they almost always return to see the aftermath.”

She frowned, her narrowed eyes resting momentarily on the guests attending her father’s funeral. “I’ll take that as a sign that you think the murderer is right here.”

“Not necessarily,” I admitted, looking her straight in the eye. Gangrel wasn’t here for obvious reasons, but other than him, all other suspects were in the same room. Even old Walhart had decided to pay his respects for reasons I could only imagine. “But people aren’t always what you believe they are, Lucy. Now, you have my deepest condolences, but if you would excuse me, I have a job to do.”

Before she could say another word, I spotted the woman I hadn’t been able to talk to all week, despite my insistence. “Olivia?” She turned around when I called her name. “How are you doing?”

Olivia had always been beautiful. As a former dancer, even her misery was graceful. “I.. I can’t sleep,” she whispered, and I thought that that was an odd thing to say. “Oh Robin, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on like this, when every time I close my eyes I see his cold, dead body lying on the ground.”

“I know how you’re feeling, Olivia.” For a second I remembered the way his body had lain there on the floor. I could almost picture him dragging himself to the phone, probably cursing himself for leaving his own home. “Though it must have been hard for you, working right next to an office where a murder took place. Are you sure you didn’t hear anything?”

“Not now, Robin! I don’t wanna break down in front of his family! I can feel Sumia’s eyes burning on my back every time I turn around,” she cried out, clinging to my hand.

I chose not to tell her why exactly that was, though she was not making a convincing case for herself by squirming under my gaze. “I’m going to need you to come in tomorrow at twelve for questioning, Olivia.”

“But… I’ve already told the police all everything on t-that day! What more can you ask me?”

“Even so Olivia, I would like to speak to you privately.”

She nodded as if she were in a daze, and then suddenly snapped out of it, meeting my eyes tensely. “You… you really think I did this?”

“I never said that, dear,” I whispered quietly to her, trying to calm her down. “I just need some answers, and we both know you haven’t told the whole story yet. But you’re right. Now is not the time. Go and grab a drink to calm yourself down a little. We’ll speak again tomorrow.” Olivia nodded, and danced out of my reach before I could give her one last, comforting hug.

“Why did you let her go?” Ricken said, surprising me. Had the twerp been listening in on my conversation the entire time? The kid was sneakier than I gave him credit for. “We could have pressured on her right here and now! You didn’t even ask her about the lock!”

“I didn’t have to,” I told him quietly, eyeing Olivia’s quickly retreating figure. “Someone who is innocent doesn’t run away like that, Ricken. Remember that for the future. Whatever she did, she had feels terrible about it. Let her lay awake for another night, let her ask herself all the questions in her head a thousand times. Tomorrow, she’ll be tired and broken, and we’ll be one step closer to catching our killer.”

Ricken nodded, and then handed me his phone. When I asked him what he wanted me to do with it, he rose one, scolding brow. “It’s the chief. She’s asking why you’re not answering your phone again.”

“If you want to reach me, you’ll have to text me. She’s known me for years, this shouldn’t be anything new to her.” Undoubtedly I had another hundred missed calls since this morning, but I refused  to feel guilty about it. I hit the redial button, and Say’ri picked up after the second ring. “Hey chief, what’s wrong?”

Even through the phone, I could hear her voice was strained. “It’s Gangrel. He and his lawyer reached a conclusion. They want to talk to you, and only to you.”

I sighed. Of course the bastard pulled this off, knowing that I could not refuse. “I’m in the middle of a funeral, Say’ri, what could possibly be so important that they couldn’t wait till tonight?”

But what she said next made me run out of the funeral home, Ricken’s phone clutched in my hand, earning myself a strange stare from most people around. The kid was hot on my heels, firing questions at me with every step.

“He wants to confess to a crime,” Say’ri repeated once more when we got into the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was slightly saddened by the lack of response last chapter, if it weren't for all the sweet responses I got on tumblr. I suppose most people already read this in the anthology, but I still want to post it here! If you somehow missed the anthology, go look it up on my tumblr ingrimasname. It has some great stories by some great authors.
> 
> Also, if you haven't read the anthology, do me a huge favor and guess the killer :D


	3. Act III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which it all comes together, or rather, falls apart.

Ricken had never heard me curse so much, nor anybody else in the police station. I’m not quick to lose my cool, but Gangrel and Aversa had the unique talent of getting under my skin. Calling me away from Chrom’s funeral to confess to a crime, what a joke!

Perhaps I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up so much, but when I entered that interrogation room and I saw his smiling face, I knew he had somehow outsmarted me. They hadn’t lied, lawyers like Aversa never really do, they just choose not to tell the whole story. So confessing to a crime he did, and he even supplied video proof of the deed, which was strange on its own because there were no cameras in Xalt Inc. I didn’t fit with idea of a family company to spy on his employees, Chrom had always insisted.

And indeed, the videotape showed not Chrom’s office, but a drug store. Seconds before I could ask how the hell this was related to the case, the video showed Gangrel walking in, swinging a large automated gun around as if it were a mere plaything, demanding the cashier to give him a certain drug. “For my kidneys.” Gangrel supplied while the video showed him holding the clerk at gunpoint until she complied to all his wishes. After that, the screen went black. “I took the videotape with me as a souvenir. You never know when these things come in handy.” He added, a dark smile on his lips.

He was confessing to a crime all right, but not to Chrom’s murder. The robbery downtown had been all over the news before it was overshadowed by Chrom’s death, but the clerk was still too shocked to properly describe the perpetrators. Well, that was one case less for the Ylisse Police force, but with Aversa as his lawyer, Gangrel wouldn’t be locked up for more than a few months, a half a year tops. For a man who had spent two decades in there, that was nothing.

For me, this was the worst thing that could have possibly happened. With every passing second of tape, my heart sank deeper into my shoes, and cold sweat crept up my back. What was I going to do? I had less than two days left!

And somehow, Gangrel knew this. He was quickly shipped off to a cell, all the while madly cracking about how I needed to find a new target. And me? I was seething, cursing both Grima and Naga above until Say’ri sent me home to cool down.

As I lay in bed that night, I finally let the tears fall. What was I going to do now? Tomorrow was my last day on the case, and save for the key, I was not even a little bit closer to cracking this nut. I cursed myself more than any deity because how could I have been so stupid? Of course Gangrel was too obvious to be the killer. The obvious choice was never the actual culprit! For a moment I considered accepting my fate, hoping that the next detective would do a decent job. But no matter how many times I told myself I had called this out on myself, I couldn’t let it go. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep that night.

Somewhere between four and five am, I sneaked into Morgan’s room. Seeing his calm, sleeping face evened out my breathing somewhat. Nobody would take me away from him. I had promised him that, and I would at the very least stick to _that_ promise, even if I had to break so many other ones. He smiled in his sleep while I combed my hands through his blue hair, and that’s when it hit me.

I laughed out, a bit too loud perhaps, but Morgan had always been a deep sleeper and with no other living soul in our apartment, it didn’t matter at all. The curse of being a genius was perhaps that you always assumed the answer was just as complex as the situation when in reality, most things could be resolved by something as simple as the color blue.

I texted three names to Say’ri before I went back to my own bed and allowed myself another few hours of sleep, knowing that my son was safe.

 

* * *

 

The next morning I walked into the office later than I should have, but I felt much better than the day before. Say’ri scolded me, but handed me coffee all the same. If she wanted me to be on time, she shouldn’t have planned an interrogation at eight in the morning, especially not two days in a row. She really, really should have known me better by now, but somehow people never really do.

It was nine by the time I entered my office, and as per my request, three women were seated there. On the right was Lucina, looking positively bored and holding her mother’s hand. Next to Sumia sat Olivia. The two women attempted to make small talk with each other, but neither of them were really able to overcome the awkwardness of the situation.

“Hello Robin, care to explain why a few cops called me at seven in the morning and _kindly_ asked me to come with them to the police station?” Sumia asked me, slightly more irritated than I was used to seeing her. She was never a morning person, and neither was I for that matter. Say’ri handed her a cup of coffee and sat next to me, her eyes expectant. I had her full trust, and I would not let her down.

“All in due time, Sumia,” I answered her patiently before I turned to the other woman. “Now, first, Olivia, I would like to ask you where you were on the night Chrom was murdered.”

Olivia never performed well when all attention was focused on her. “I.. I was at my job, filing some documents and arranging his meetings for the next day.”

“And you weren’t surprised Chrom didn’t leave his office to go home?”

She shook her head. “No… I … we had an arrangement. He liked to work till late, and often forgot I was there anyway. And I have to pick Inigo up from his dad on Tuesdays, so I can leave at nine regardless if he is still working.” I wrote that down as well, trying not to smile.

“Aha,” I intoned impassively, feeling Sumia’s eyes on me. “And this is what happened that night as well?”

“Y-yes!” Olivia squeaked a bit too quickly.

Like mice in a maze, I closed the door behind her. “Then, if you were in the office between eight and nine, could you explain to me how it is that you did not hear, nor see a person walking into the office through the front door? Why did you not stop them? Or did you let them in, using the key Chrom gave you, to let his would-be murderer in?

“No!” She cried out, tears already falling from her face. Sumia stared at her with wide eyes, her hands trembling on the table.

But I was not done yet. “Or is that perhaps because you saw nobody, because there was no other killer. There was only you and Chrom. The door was locked when you found him, you told the investigators that yourself. Did you lock it behind him after you killed him in cold blood?”

Olivia jumped out of her chair and fell into my arms, pleading over and over: “No! I would never do that!”

"Were you having an affair with him? Were you angry that he broke it off to go back to his wife? He just made plans for a honeymoon with her. Were you jealous? Come on Olivia, stop lying and just tell me: where you there that night? Did you kill Chrom?”

“NO!” Olivia wept, sinking back into her chair with one heartfelt cry, and I knew I had broken her. “Oh gods, I swore I would never tell this, but I can’t keep this up any longer!”

“Sumia, you have to believe me, I never slept with your husband, but I… I did betray him.” She held Sumia’s hand, her eyes pleading for her to believe her while the other woman stood still in shock. “I’ve been working for Basillio and his firm for months, sending them information about our company. They wished to make Chrom an offer, nothing more!”

“Then, at that night…?” I asked her gently before she got off track.

She turned back to me, her voice shrill from emotion. “I was meeting him! At the Coliseum Bar in Regna Ferox!” Her shoulder’s wracked with every sob, every word a labor as she gasped for breath. I almost felt sorry for her. “I’m so sorry Robin, but I needed the money for Inigo’s tuition, and after all the money I lost in the divorce… I simply had no choice! But I would never kill Chrom!”

“I know, Olivia. I know.” I conceded, allowing her that small mercy. “I just needed to be sure.”

She looked at me as if I were a ghost, or someone she had never seen before. Perhaps it hadn’t been nice of me to play with her feelings, but my job didn’t often allow for niceties.

“Then, why did you call the rest of us here?” Sumia asked, still shaking from Olivia’s violent outburst while the other woman cried on her shoulder, sobbing apologies a little bit too late.

I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. From her side, Lucina was unshaken as always, eyeing me with distrust. “Because you three are the only other people who have a key of Chrom’s office. If Olivia wasn’t there, which I suspected, then you were the only other person who could have gotten in and out without being noticed.”

“Robin!” Sumia exclaimed, insulted before I could utter another word. “I… I never killed my husband!”

“I never said you did, sweetheart.” I shushed her before she could put more words into my mouth. “After all, you lost your key, didn’t you?”

Sumia nodded, pacified, but Say’ri followed my train of thoughts. “Then, who has it?”

I let my eyes roam over the ladies from right to left, eventually landing on the youngest woman in the room, a college student of barely nineteen years old. “Lucina, can you give me your keychain?”

“Why?” Lucina asked, not moving a bit.

“Why? Because you weren’t at soccer practice that night with your sister and mother, were you? Of course you weren’t, you hate that place.” Lucina favored kendo, and I remembered how she had fought with Chrom over being allowed to practice it a few years ago. “And yet, somehow, your mother said you were with her. Now, why would she lie about that? Why would she have to warm up the food for you? Why were you too busy showering in the mean time? Why did you ask your mother to cover up for you?”

Lucina’s eyes went wide, but it was Sumia that spoke, her eyes darting between her daughter and me. “What are you implying…?”

I shook my head, holding my hand up until Lucina reluctantly handed me her keychain. “I’m not implying. See this key?” I held up a navy blue steel key, intricate in design, almost unique. “This is one out of four, a nearly unbreakable kind of key dyed in Chom’s favorite color. One that only Sumia, Chrom and his secretary have. But his wife is a little bit forgetful, and tends to lose hers. Luckily for her, she has a very smart daughter who finds it every time. Only this time, she didn’t give it back and paid her father a visit.”

I turned to Lucina, who was quietly shaking her head, fear and anger in her eyes, her skin drained from any blood. “Haven’t you two been fighting a lot lately? Even your mother told me you had been arguing to the point of screaming the day before he died. What was it about?”

“I… he never let me do what I wanted with my life!” Lucina cried out, her voice no longer controlled and even. “He didn’t let me date who I wanted, work where I wanted, he even made me study something I didn’t want. I was angry, okay! But if I could take it all back…”

I nodded. Caught up in her emotions, she made my job easy. “When I looked at Chrom’s corpse, I was surprised that he had a few fresh, small bruises, roughly the shape of a fist. They were too small for a man of Walhart’s size, so that ruled him out. But they were just big enough for a man of Gangrel’s size, and so you really had me believing it was Gangrel, Lucina,” I continued when she didn’t say anything to defend herself. “The guy could pick a lock since he was a baby and not leave a trace, but he was obviously the murderer. I would have never suspected you if you hadn’t been so calm at the funeral, but there you were, tense, almost guiltily so. Did you wait specifically for the week of his release to kill your father, knowing that I would suspect him first? Or was it a spur of the moment thing?” The more I spoke, the harsher my voice became, threatening Lucina to deny my words.

“Lucina?” Her mother asked, shaking her head softly from left to right while staring at her own daughter as if she had never seen her before.

“I didn’t do it!” Lucina bit back with a desperate tone in her voice, snapping out of her daze. I don’t think she ever expected me to suspect her. “Why would I kill my own father? I loved him!”

“You would know that better than anyone else, Lucina.” I countered calmly, feeling the tension lift from my shoulder. “If you didn’t kill him, then where were you, Lucina? Why would you your mother tell me you were with her, only to have you deny it later at the funeral yourself?”

“I was practicing kendo!” She defended quickly, but her alibi was weak at best, and she knew it.

I scoffed, closing another door behind her. “On your own, at eight in the evening, during the holidays? Try again, Lucina! You were murdering your father, and after that you took a shower to wash his blood from your hands, right before your mother came home and made you dinner! You know she doesn’t arrive before ten after practice, it’s a family tradition to get ice-cream!”

“I didn’t do it!” Lucina struggled, but it didn’t help her case. Her aggressive behavior was only convincing people I was right, like a trapped mouse. When none of us reacted, she pleaded to her mother. “Mother! Tell them I didn’t do it!”

Sumia looked lost for a moment, looking between me and her daughter until her eyes settled on Lucina. “I… that morning, when I called you to tell about Chrom… you told me to say I was with you… why, Lucina?”

Lucina shook her head violently. “I meant I _wished_ I had gone with you! Practicing on my own was boring! I never told you to lie!”

Before she could say another word, I put my body between the two women, as a human shield. “Don’t let her twist your memory, Sumia.” And to my delight, my old friend took a step towards me, eying her own daughter with distrust. “Even your own mother doubts you, Lucina! Stop denying it and admit it already! Why else would you have the only other key to your father’s study? And why did you bounce back so quickly to take over his company after his death? Who else could have done it, if not you?”

And just like that, Lucina snapped. “You!” She cried out loud, but it was too late.

“Say’ri, check her dorm room. I bet a month’s wages that you will find the murder weapon there. As for you Lucina….” From under my desk I took a pair of handcuffs, and quickly fastened them around her wrists. “Until they’re back, you are staying in custody for being suspect of the murder of Chrom of Ylisse.”

Even before I could finish her sentence, Lucina lost it. She charged at me, hitting my back repeatedly, calling me all sorts of things I wouldn’t like to repeat. But Say’ri didn’t become the Chief of Police by sitting on her ass, and was quick to subdue her.

“Say’ri, perhaps you should lock her in a safe place until the situation clears up. And you aren’t going anywhere either, Olivia. Perhaps you didn’t kill him, but you still are guilty to corporate espionage, and are to be charged for that crime.”

Olivia sighed, drained and defeated, following after Say’ri and the screaming Lucina out of her own volition. She wouldn’t be running away anywhere.

“I… I can’t believe it…” Sumia uttered out, falling back into my arms. “Sure, they had been fighting a lot, but...” before she could finish that sentence she started sobbing uncontrollably. I did feel bad for her, of course. I never meant for her to lose her husband and her eldest daughter in the same week, but that is how these things go.

I could hear Lucina cursing my name from across the hall, but not even her mother believed her anymore. Or she wouldn’t at least, after they found the knife I hid in her dorm room this morning before I went to work.

Oh come on, are you really surprised it was me all along? Lucina always was smart, but I never expected her to realize I killed her father.

Then again I had never expected to have to frame her in the first place. Did my father slip something to Aversa of his plans, which she in turn mentioned to Gangrel? I would never know how the man had known to commit a different crime on the same night, with video evidence to boot. It was inconvenient, and with little time left, Lucina was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was too easy to fit her into the blanks, and with her locked behind bars, my son was safe from her as well. Two birds, one stone, so to say. If her mother hadn’t misspoken during her examination, if Sumia hadn’t been so easily manipulated, and if Chrom hadn’t been so fond of mentioning her every night I visited him in his office…  Then somebody else would have been dragged away right now.

After all, who would suspect a detective of the crime she was investigating? Only Lucina, who always suspected the extramarital relationship between her father and I, that is. In a _crime passionel_ , the wife may always be the first suspect, but the mistress is always the second. And the best part about all of this was that the heartbreaking idiot told me himself where Lucina was that night, as well about his suspicions of Olivia. He had facilitated his own murder, and didn’t realize it until I pulled the knife out of his chest, the very same that I had stolen mere weeks ago from his very own kitchen. Oh, the look of betrayal on his face… Well, I’ll spare you the details.

“People hardly ever are what you think they are, Sumia.” I told her gently while she sobbed in my embrace, allowing myself to smile openly in my empty office. In my pocket I could feel my phone vibrating again. My father, undoubtedly, asking me again whether or not I had succeeded, as he had for the past week. I decided not to tell him: after the knife would be found this afternoon, those pesky reporters would spread the news of Lucina’s arrest soon enough for him to know that I had done it. I had committed the perfect crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... how many saw that one coming? Of course, it was hidden in the text all along. During reading, you probably had a few moments in which you thought: 'Wait, something is wrong here...' If you did, you were correct! If any more questions remain, don't hesitate to ask them. I tried not to spell everything out for the reader, so perhaps you missed something.
> 
> This narrative structure is called the unreliable narrator. The narrator establishes an illusion of objectivity to the reader, despite the fact that she is very biased and not incapable of lying. But because she only tells you what she wants you to see, you are inclined to see it her way. This works best in first person, which is why the Perfect Crime is written the way it is.
> 
> Thank you for reading! It was a joy to write, although quite hard! I've gotten a lot of positive commentary on this, and for that I am grateful! If you feel cheated in some way, or wish for Lucina's redemption... Well, lets not forget that the crime may have been perfect, but the case is not yet closed. The next installment will happen in court, and this time it is the bastard son who speaks. I hope to see you all again when I post the sequel, 'The Perfect Trial'.


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